The present invention relates to a construction for mounting a banner, and more particularly to such a construction for spreading and holding taut a banner made of a predetermined material.
Banners, for displaying advertising or other information, usually take the form of an elongated rectangular strip which is secured, at its corners, to an anchor means such as posts through the use of cables secured to such banner. Such banners are usually displayed in an outdoor setting, and hence are subjected to wind and other conditions of air turbulence. In order to reduce the wind resistance of such banners, often unsightly holes are placed through the body of the banner. Such holes often interfere with the visibility of reading matter on the banner. As well, such banners tend to sag and erase when exposed to wind, reducing their attractiveness and readability.
Another problem with such banners, when suspended, is that they tend to sag and wrinkle, again detracting from the attractiveness of such a banner and the readability of any message or the like printed on it. Even the use of a wire or cord edge in the banner to minimize such sagging or wrinkling does not give the banner a rigid appearance or durability.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,746 of Frey issued Nov. 10, 1959, teaches a rectangular banner having a rigid member extending through a hem at each end. The banner is suspended, at each end, by a pair of chains, one extending from each corner and both, secured to a third chain spring mounted to a post. Such a construction would be unsuitable for outdoor displays since, in a wind the banner would tend to turn like a wheel about the axis of the third chains.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,503 of De La Cruz, et al issued Mar. 6, 1990 teaches a banner of a non-woven polyolefin film-fibril sheet having plastic clamps at the corners to receive corner supporting elastic cords. The plastic clamps tend to either tear the corners or come loose when the banner is subjected to wind forces, making this banner unsuitable for long term outdoor use.
Other banner mounting constructions of general background interest are described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,252,764 of Farrell issued Aug. 19, 1941, U.S. Pat. No. 2,177,327 of Oberlin issued Oct. 24, 1939, U.S. Pat. No. 2,960,785 of Kies issued Nov. 22, 1960, U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,268 of Frey et al issued May 13, 1963 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,069,600 of Coleman issued Feb. 2, 1937.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a banner mounting construction which will result in a banner having rigid appearance. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a construction which will be extremely durable and which will respond well to the forces generated by strong winds and other turbulence.